How to Improve your Chess Game & Play Like a Pro

By Instash

Published 09:15 am

Improve your Chess Game

Have you mastered the basics and now it’s time to uplevel your chess game? Chess will always be popular. A game anyone can learn although some of us seem to have the skills to take the game on even further. If the friendly game after Sunday lunch isn’t scratching the itch, you could be ready to take on the chess challenges that take playing to an art form perhaps a few points of advice can help you improve and play chess like a pro.

1. Openings and Endgames

Don’t memorize your opening moves! It’s time-out. As with many things in life, rote learning does not always end with exceptional outcomes! Memorizing the moves simply doesn’t make sense without knowing what you are really doing.

If you rote learn a set of opening steps without understanding the implications, the Siberian Trap in the Morra Gambit is a fair example of how things can go way off mark. When opening, understanding basic concepts, things like how to improve all the bits, why to place the king in protection and the benefits of controlling the center are important considerations.

In fact, most people don’t give enough time to learn chess openings. These days, busy people concentrate on becoming experts in just a few although they will know many more.

Endgames, on the other hand, have to be performed with precision. One fraudulent move ends the game so it’s even more important to mentally double-check your moves.

2. Tactics

In chess games, psychological trends regularly appear. Solving any puzzle on a daily basis helps you recognize any that turn up in your games. You can use books or chess tactics trainers using a mobile app. Of course, there’s a huge difference between these and a true game of chess but there’s still something to learn. The challenge many chess players face when measuring sheets mentally is being accurate on the end location. Many players have a great idea, but can’t calculate it all the way to the end. Often these players are still acquiring the skill to mentally rehearse the play scenario.

There are ways to practice. One is to play blindfolded. Even if you don’t get through a whole game, you will improve with regular training and measurement will become less of a challenge. Refine this skill further playing out easy strategies – but without looking at the wall. With practice, you’ll get faster.

3. Experience in Chess

You need to gain as much familiarity with the game as you can to get better. The most effective method is by direct exposure to the video. First, you practice, practice and practice! Take part in competitions, go to the chess club regularly or play online at home and be prepared to read, listen and learn from the experience of others. People with expertise give the best game advice to steer your focus in the right direction.

4. Use Your Own Brain

Take some R and R and review and reflect on each game you play. This is the key to refining your complete set of chess skills. It’s helpful at this stage, to find a better player or a coach to guide you. If you study the games yourself, don’t stick with the chess engines. Often, the world’s best players don’t convert a position a program measures as a + 1.5 benefit. Use your own brain and challenge yourself. Commit to learning chess and working on how to be a better player with analysis of your own game, particularly those you lost.

5. Fitness

Last but not least, for playing chess, the need for good physical fitness should not be underestimated, as well as tracking your fitness. Top chess players agree they need to keep their bodies in peak condition to perform at the highest levels. The World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, for example, is an athlete. He’s a knowledgeable, professional football player and trains for his chess match openings by cycling. He also takes his personal chef to tournaments to keep his diet tight.

Ahead of his first World Championship match against Magnus Carlsen in 2013, former World Chess Champion, Vishy Anand took part in a lot of sports, particularly swimming. He decided that to play Carson, who is about 20 years younger, he had to be in fantastic shape so he played hard and lost a couple of kilos. He probably did. Each day there are two games with 7 to 9 rounds, and each can last 5 or 6 hours. It takes superhuman mental energy to stay focused for so long.

Use your brain and stay fit. Practice and practice and study what the masters did to win. It takes effort and determination and the perseverance to put chess and all that it takes to master it at the center of your world. If it isn’t an Olympic sport by now it should be. We are talking about serious dedication for the logically minded.